India elections

First-time voter Rinchen, 23, shows her inked finger outside a unique polling station in India's remote Warshi village, home to just one family and five eligible voters, on May 20.
Your Week in Asia

India election wraps up, East Asia powers meet, HK national security verdict

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

26 May 2024
Hindu priests prepare for the 'Ganga Aarti' devotional ritual on the banks of the river Ganges at Varanasi, India. Large swathes of the sacred river are contaminated by toxic waste and sewage, despite government pledges to clean it up.
India elections

Modi accused of failing on 10-year-old promise to clean up Ganges River

Despite allocation of billions of dollars, sacred river remains heavily polluted

22 May 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an election campaign event in Varanasi on May 13.
Politics

Ruling BJP's ideological parent aims to restore India's lost glory

9 million volunteers help support Hindu nationalist party and leader Narendra Modi

21 May 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a campaign rally in Agra on April 25. He looks set to win a third term in power.  (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Editor-in-Chief’s Picks

Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: India's Instagrab

Shin Nakayama shares his weekly reflections and recommendations

17 May 2024
As more than 900 million Indian voters head to the polls, influencers on Instagram, X and other platforms have become key pawns in the ruling BJP's bid for a third term in power.
The Big Story

India's Instagrab: Modi's re-election bid weaponizes social media influencers

BJP leaves nothing to chance, boosting favorable online celebrities while suppressing dissent

15 May 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a rally at a stadium in Kashmir on March 7, as his bodyguard looks on.
India elections

Modi's BJP skips Kashmir in India polls for first time in three decades

Ruling party suffers from 'trust deficit' in strife-torn region, analysts say

13 May 2024
The none-of-the-above option is at the bottom of the list of candidates in India's general election for the country's lower house of parliament. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
India elections

'Blank vote' arouses controversy in India's general election

Questions raised about fairness of 'none-of-the-above' ballot option

12 May 2024
Women drink water from a public tap on a hot summer day in India's Uttar Pradesh state on May 2. Politicians and voters have been braving the heat during the country's mammoth general election.
7 May 2024
A supporter of India's main opposition Congress party holds up a banner during a rally in Manipur state's Thoubal district on Jan. 14.
India elections

India's violence-wracked Manipur holds 'closed-door' election

Fears of more bloodshed force candidates to campaign on the sly in remote region

6 May 2024
The Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai. The Sensex stock index rose above 75,000 for the first time in April.
Markets

India stock rally signals confidence in Modi's growth agenda

Sensex index hits record highs heading into marathon election

3 May 2024
First-time voter: A 21-year-old Indian student on the south campus of Hyderabad Central University on April 14.
India elections

Indian parties scramble to woo tuned-out young voters

Youths will play a catalytic role in determining who comes to power

29 April 2024
An Indian shows her identity papers and signs a polling register before casting her vote on April 26 in the southern state of Kerala.
India elections

India's election enters second phase: Four crucial states to watch

Uttar Pradesh's 80 seats make it key to forming next government

26 April 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under some heat for his inflammatory comments over the weekend that critics felt were anti-Muslim. 
India elections

India's Modi under fire for election 'hate speech' against Muslims

Critics blast 'infiltrator' remarks by popular leader in campaign trail speech

24 April 2024
People wait at a polling station in Rajasthan, India, on April 19. Some 970 million people are eligible to cast ballots in the general election, which extends into June.
The Nikkei View

Democracy put to the test in India's general election

Modi should show respect for minorities through free and fair contest

24 April 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi displays the Bharatiya Janata Party's election manifesto in New Delhi on April 14.
Opinion

India's ruling BJP is not talking enough about the economy

Modi should address issues like youth unemployment and sluggish consumption

22 April 2024
A woman shows her ink-marked finger after casting her vote at a polling station in Jaipur, India, on April 19. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
India elections

India opens world's biggest elections with lower house voting

Results of the multistage poll will be tallied by early June

19 April 2024
Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi await his arrival in Ghaziabad, India, on April 6.
India elections

Four politicians to watch in Indian elections Modi is seen to win

Ruling BJP aims to clinch over 400 seats for alliance it leads

18 April 2024
Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India's main opposition Congress party, and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leader of the party or coalition that holds the majority of seats in the lower house is elected as prime minister. (Source photos by Reuters)
India elections

India elections set to kick off: 5 things to know

Modi's BJP expected to retain power in world's biggest polls as opposition falters

12 April 2024
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be 75, the retirement age stipulated by his Bharatiya Janata Party, in September 2025.
Politics

Political battle to succeed Modi brews quietly in India

Two candidates lead the pack -- a longtime confidant and a hardliner cleric

7 April 2024
Bharatiya Janata Party supporters attend a rally by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a stadium in Srinagar on March 7.
India elections

India's BJP aims to win first Kashmir seats along with 'hearts and minds'

Modi's party hails local achievements but skepticism in region runs deep

26 March 2024
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi's chief minister and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, waves to supporters during celebrations at the party headquarters in February 2020.
Politics

Indian politicians detained after arrest of Delhi leader Kejriwal

Opposition Aam Aadmi Party blames 'dirty politics,' turns to supreme court

22 March 2024
Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India's main opposition Congress party, arrives in Mumbai on March 16, on the final leg of a nationwide march to connect with voters ahead of the country's general election.
Asia Insight

India opposition fights for relevance versus Modi election juggernaut

As Rahul Gandhi concludes march for 'unity,' his Congress party's coalition frays

19 March 2024
A mother and son at home in Bihar state: A reduction in government spending is to be achieved mostly through cutbacks to subsidies and other support for rural areas.
Opinion

India's new government budget hints at overconfidence

Election-time spending restraint offset by rosy revenue and cost projections

7 February 2024
Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India's main opposition party, Congress, is attempting to revive its fortunes against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of popular Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Source photos by Reuters) 
India elections

Indian opposition's Gandhi embarks on 6,700-km march before elections

Congress scion's second such trek targets PM Modi's decade in power

14 January 2024
Bangladesh, Taiwan, South Korea and Sri Lanka are also set to go to the polls next year, while Asia's focus will shift to the U.S. Presidential race later in 2024. (Photo by Ken KobayashI)
Asia Insight

From India and Pakistan to Indonesia, Asia set for election-packed 2024

Over a billion people will be voting but democracy questions cloud some races

26 December 2023